When I was a kid, one of my friends had a doormat at her house that simply said "GO AWAY." Of course, it was a joke, and we all thought it was hilarious. But that was the 20th century, and nowadays a simple threatening message just won't do. This is the digital age, folks.

Apparently, now you have to scare your unwanted visitors away with an LED animation of the classic arcade game "Space Invaders." The Back Off Doormat, which retails for $110, is designed to do just that. It's powered by two AA batteries, and presumably it's either scary enough or horrendously nerdy enough to repel most visitors.

Unfortunately, I don't think the Space Invaders aliens are particularly frightening, so this doormat wouldn't leave me running and screaming. However, if you supplemented it with a door knocker in the shape of Mr. Spock's head and a lawn gnome shaped like a lightsaber-toting Yoda, that might be enough to make me back off. It'd give me the hint that it's likely the abode of someone who uses a laser gun for a TV clicker and watches movies with an R2-D2 projector.

About the author

Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos.
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